Macabre Sanctuary by Joan Hall

I invite you to explore Macabre Sanctuary, a FREE collection of ten short stories published by AIW Press. Yes, you heard correctly. Macabre Sanctuary is free for the taking from Amazon, Apple, Kobo and others.

I’m thrilled my short story, “The Keeper’s House,” is included in this Halloween-themed compilation. You’ll find nine other stories as well, all in the suspense/thriller genres. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you entertained.

• Learn the lore of a haunted island.
• Grapple with the undead while robbing graves Halloween night.
• Endure a hazing ritual unlike any other.
• Deal with a demon at an All Souls’ Day celebration.
• See what happens when you court death in the wild.
• Battle zombies and cannibals in a quest to stay alive.
• Travel back in time to witness the birth of true evil.
• Fear prophetic nightmares made manifest.
• Come to terms with new ethereal realities.
• Befriend a feline to extend earthly life.

This collection from ten talented authors offers ghosts and demons, spirits and zombies, cannibals and killers… even a ferocious animal. Historical and contemporary tales of violence and fright keep readers on the edges of their seats. There’s something for everyone who loves spine-tingling, bone-chilling, blood-curdling stories.

Here’s an excerpt from my story:

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Lauren stirred and turned over in bed.

Thump. Thump.

She opened her eyes and raised her head. Silence. Fluffing her pillow, she snuggled deeper beneath the covers. Warm and cozy, she drifted back to sleep.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Lauren sat up and looked around the room. The distinctive smell of cigar smoke filled the air. She got out of bed and walked to the front window. The room felt chilly, in spite of the warm air coming from the floor vent.

Hannah’s father said he’d given up smoking. At any rate, Lauren had never known him to smoke cigars. Maybe they were his consolation to giving up cigarettes, and he snuck one at night.

She looked out the window. Wispy clouds drifted across the sky. A thin sliver of the waning moon was on the eastern horizon. It was a beautiful night.

Lauren started to go back to bed when she saw movement on the front lawn. A man walked out of the shadows toward the rocky cliff near the lighthouse…